Thread: Making a slicker lather

I should first confess that I am very new to wet shaving in general (started last month) so I realize my technique sub par. I have been more or less successfully shaving with a DE for the last 40 days or so and for the most part my lather has been good enough. Last weekend I tried a straight for the first time and I think the lather was way to dry and the blade seemed like it would hop of the face and land a bit further down stoke. It seems that the DE is less picky about how slippery the lather is.

I have been using EJ cream for all of my shaves so far so I really have nothing to compare it with. But since I run out tomorrow... Something will change.

Any tips on how to make my lather a bit more slippery?

Thanks
Ruckin;

I went to CVS and got myself some Pure Gliserin. Its cheap and all you need is a few drops per shave - works like a charm!!

Practice mixing it in with your new cream/soap - focusing on how much water it'll take. You might be surprised to find you need to add more water than you think. Heck, I soak my brush pre shave and tickle it with a touch of water every pass.

When you master your lather, good things happen .

Good luck!

I add that to mine also. 4 or 5 drops works great. I am in the same situation you are. Still chasing a good lather every time.

Originally Posted by SS502MC

I add that to mine also. 4 or 5 drops works great. I am in the same situation you are. Still chasing a good lather every time.

My lathering education really rose exponentially when I gave in and "wasted" good cream just practicing making layers on my arm and seeing how long it took to cake.

Yeas, its kind of waist full, but like I said, good thing happen when you make a good lather.

I also use the glycerin trick. Couple drops an uber lather! Only product I have found that doesn't seem to like it is my TOBS Jermyn st... It is one of my favs an works great on its own, but seems to fade out on performance with the added drops of glycerin.

To the OP. If your blade is skipping an you know its sharp then I would say your assumptions are correct in you lather is to dry.

Yea, a skipping blade usually indicates a lather that is too dry. Lather gets too dry because you did not use enough water making it and/or you shave very slowly. Being your first SR shave it could be a combination of the two. Try adding a little more water when making lather and only lather that part of your face that you will be doing immediately.

Bob

Wow, thank you for the quick replies. I will try to pick up some glycerin later today on the way home and add more water. I think today (or maybe tomorrow) will be the day I run out of the EJ cream so it may take me a few days when I work out how to lather whatever is next.

To BobH I figured out being too dry by dipping a hand in water and rubbing the face improves the slickness significantly. I have only tried a straight twice so I am probably being way to cautious (slow).

Ruckin.

yes more water ,, that is the one thing that got me ,, I found out you need less soap or cream than you think ,, as you add water it just keeps building till you hit the point of runny, but like earcutter said ,, soap is cheap so experiment with it in your free time I mixed up a lot of soap on my arm to get comfortable making the right consistency,, oh never let your soap get so low you have to wait for more , you need more soap, I think to run out in my house ill be 296 years ol by then!!! lol tc

Originally Posted by ruckin

To BobH I figured out being too dry by dipping a hand in water and rubbing the face improves the slickness significantly. I have only tried a straight twice so I am probably being way to cautious (slow).

Ruckin.

You did not say if you face or bowl lather. I face lather and so build the lather on my face by adding a bit of water at a time. I add the water by dipping just the tips of the brush in the water and build some more. I repeat that as needed till I get the lather I want. A lot of times the lather will get a pearlescent sheen to it when just right for me. If you bowl lather you can add water the same way till you get what you want. Always apply the lather to a wet face, not a dry one.

Bob

Almost forgot to mention that I do not use glycerin.

I agree with those that say if the lather is too dry the blade can skip on the face. However the same is true if there is too much water. Getting the right amount of water to soap ratio can be difficult with some soaps. It seams some have this narrow range but others are more forgiving. It takes practice to get it right and I feel the best way to practice is by lathering in your hand so you can feel how slippery the lather is every step of the way. You want just enough water do the lather is not drying on the face but not to much to take away the slickness. Start with a damp but not wet brush and add a few drops of water at a time until it feels incredibly slippery in your hand. Once you get a feel for it you will be able to recognize it in a bowl or on your face. Good luck.